Music Videos of the Month

There were so many great videos this past month that it’s been hard to whittle them down to a decent-sized list. But here, for your pleasure, are our 11 favourite promos from April… Give them all a go, I promise it will be worth it.Watch them all, I promise it will be worth it.

There were so many great videos this past month that it’s been hard to whittle them down to a managable list. But here, for your pleasure, are our 11 favourite promos from April… Give them all a go, I promise it will be worth it.

First up, a tale of puppy love from director Ryan Staake for J Cole’s track Wet Dreamz. Production company: Pomp&Clout.

This striking vid for Real Joy by Fono is a tale of close friendship turned violent. The director is Simon Cahn, and the video shown above is the director’s cut. Production company: Pulse.

Director Jesse Kanda and producer Arca have been creating some great films together lately. This latest, for Arca track Sad Bitch, has similiarities to Kanda’s weird and wonderful twerking video for Thievery, but moves the imagery along a little bit. Production company: Pretty Bird.

A collaboration between Hot Chip and Shynola is a must watch, and this video lives up to expectation, casting lead singer Alexis Taylor as a lovelorn loner, caught in a loop. Production company: Black Dog Films.

Directing duo Jakarno have served up a visual feast in this promo for Hivers by Baden Baden. Production company: Passion Paris.

This video for Something You Do by Cold Mailman features a series of delightful short scenes that are impossible to turn away from. Director: André Chocron. Production company: Frokost.

Our only animated promo this month comes from director Julian Lassort, and is a spellbinding black-and-white work for The Road by ALB. Production company: Solab.

Melody Gardot’s track Preacherman, inspired by the murder of African-American teenager Emmett Till in 1955 – an act that is seen as contributing to the start of the Civil Rights Movement in the US – is brought to life in epic style here by director Calum Macdiarmid. Production company: Great Guns.

Brendan Canty’s video for Seafret’s track Atlantis is a touching tale of unexpected friendship, containing a nod to the movie version of Where the Wild Things Are.

We finish on a weird and wonderful note with the latest Panda Bear video, for track Tropic of Cancer, which is directed by Animal Collective’s Avey Tare. It’s very odd, but very entertaining.

Marshmallow Laser Feast, animation studio Blue Zoo and illustrator Rob Pybus have created a new VR video for Squarepusher track Stor Eiglass, which guides viewers through a surreal illustrated dystopia. We spoke to BlueZoo and MLF about making the video, which can also be viewed on Google Cardboard and as a 360-degree video on YouTube…

Graphic arts festival Pick Me Up opened at London’s Somerset House last night, with talks, workshops, screenings and exhibitions taking place until May 4. Here’s a look at some of our favourite work on show and what’s on over the next few days…